Why are we still having this conversation?

It’s incredible to me that, despite the numerous times this issue has been raised and addressed, and in spite of the overwhelming scientific evidence, we’re still talking about the importance (NECESSITY) of strength training for weight loss.

So, let me some it up for you real quick-like:

“If you want to lose weight, if you want to reduce body fat, if you want to add lean muscle, you need to lift stuff. And you don’t just need to lift stuff, you need to lift HEAVY stuff.”

Hey, guess what? You don’t live on the moon!

Or maybe you do, but most of us don’t. Why is this relevant?

Because if you live on a planet that has gravity, you need to be challenging that gravity when you lift.

You have purses that weigh 10 pounds! You have briefcases that weigh 12 pounds! Your children are not filled with helium, when you lift them up, you’re lifting 15, 20, 30, 40 or more pounds!

Related: The hierarchy of weight loss; have you been doing it backwards?

But even in 2016 people still believe that you should never lift more than 5 to 8 pounds. This, even though the science has repeatedly refuted this notion.

It’s hard to believe that people still worry about getting “bulky” if they lift weights. Not going to happen unless you’re a genetic anomaly.

Everyone wants to be “toned”…..

But, really, “toned” just means that you are developing muscle tissue. “Toned” is not a word that exists in exercise science or kinesiology, it’s a made up term that the general population has coined to describe a body that is lean enough to reveal muscle!

In order to stimulate the growth of lean muscle tissue you have to be uncomfortable (not dangerous or risky, but uncomfortable) when you lift, and that means you have to lift heavy stuff.

What’s “heavy?” Weight that requires you to struggle. Weight that requires a trainer’s oversight.

Not a dangerous amount that would compromise movement! As you know, one of our founding principles is to First, Move Well. But enough to cause your body to struggle.

There needs to be a progression…

Be smart. Don’t just jump in and start trying to throw around heavy stuff. Start slow, start light, and scale the weight up incrementally over time in a way that the load you’re using is challenging.

It would be best to have a trainer help you with this.

Just watch this movie and you’ll see!

But, if you’re still skeptical, Google “strength training for weight loss” and see the avalanche of material that pops up.

Or, just be okay with where you are and don’t expect to change. That’s okay, too, as long as you don’t complain about it.

Because there’s reality and then there’s everything else.

And reality and science say this clearly; if you want to lose weight, if you want to reduce body fat, if you want to build lean muscle and get “toned,” you need to be doing strength training.

Thanks for checking in, we’ll see you next week!

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